Stones in the Ocean
by Blaze Moonlight
Summary: Sitting on the docks back at Destiny Island Riku isn't all to keen to confess his emotions when so many things could go wrong. RikuSora AxelRoxas


Riku sighed, wishing he knew how to retrieve skipped stones

Riku sighed, wishing he knew how to retrieve badly skipped stones. It was strange being back on Destiny Islands after all the years he'd spent away, he had done so many things and seen so many worlds but in the end he was still back here sitting on the old wooden docks wondering about life's meaning. It was difficult getting used to being back home, he found it awkward talking to his parents and the other adults, the younger islanders were okay; Selphie, Wakka and Tidus just accepted that they'd been on a journey but the older people asked endless questions. It was awkward that he'd taken to avoiding Sora as well but lately he'd been finding it hard to talk to the optimistic brunet, something had changed since they'd last been on the islands together, before it was an utterly platonic friendship but now… Riku had begun to see Sora in a different light, the years spent alone in the darkness with only his memories of Sora for company probably accounted for that. He didn't dare to say anything about it though, something about Sora's defencelessness would have made him feel slightly guilty about his feelings, the brunet might think he was required to reciprocate whether he actually wanted to or not.

"You shouldn't wait you know…"

Riku gasped at the horribly familiar voice, summoning his Keyblade and raising it, hoping that he wouldn't find himself in yet another battle.

"I'm not looking for fights so don't bother stressing yourself out."

Riku lowered the blade hesitantly without letting go; while the animosity was mainly on his side he would not put it past the other to be trying to get revenge after previous conflicts.

"Good on you for not letting your guard down too easily, you aren't an easy person to fool. I mean it about not fighting you though."

"Then what are you doing here?" Riku muttered, his tone cold and aggressive despite the fact his anger was slowly slipping away.

He felt the docks creak slightly as the male sat down near him, close enough to be heard but still putting a slightly unnecessary amount of distance between them.

"I decided it was necessary to give you a push in the right direction."

"Since when was what I do with my life any of your business!" Riku snapped.

"Since it started hurting Sora!" the blonde shot back icily.

"What do you mean _hurting_ Sora?" Riku asked, suddenly worried.

"You really are dense aren't you? The blonde muttered.

"Roxas what are you talking about?" Riku said, more than willing to put aside the insult if it meant he could get an explanation as to why the blond thought he was hurting Sora.

"You need to tell him how you feel," the blonde stated simply, as if his logic was obvious and his statements clear.

"What are you talking about? You're just making random statements," said Riku defensively.

"You love him and he loves; you spend all you time pining after him and spends all his time pining after you – it would be some much easier for both of you if you tell him how you feel," said the blond, slightly agitated.

Riku sighed, he thought he could see how the blond had developed his attitude but following that sort of advice really wouldn't work out well for anybody, "I can't, it's - well it's better this way."

It was the wrong thing to say.

"BETTER! BETTER! ARE YOU CRAZY! Do you honestly think it's better for him to have to lived life not knowing how you feel, not being able to admit to loving you without fear of rejection?" the blonde yelled suddenly, eye's blazing as he jumped sharply to his feet.

"I might tell him someday," Riku cut in, standing up in case he needed to defend himself from the younger teen's anger. Riku knew that despite his own talents the young blonde could certainly hold his own and perhaps even win if he decided physical fighting would get his message across better.

"Someday isn't gonna cut it," the blond spat, he voice dripping poisonously with unmistakable fury, "Someday you're going to die, and then what, Sora's going to end up like me; not knowing whether the feeling was returned. He'll spend his whole life wondering whether or not… if things had been different… what could have his life been like!"

Roxas was choking on his words now and Riku realised with a jolt that tears were threatening to spill from the blonde's eyes. Roxas didn't look like the enemy of anybody anymore. He wasn't a ruthless attacker or an adversary of light; he was just a lost, hurt teenager without anybody to trust.

"You… you know how it feels don't you? You've been through some kind of loss, it's obvious," Riku said, sitting back down on the dock and pulling the blonde down with him. Roxas didn't protest he just let himself sink down, weak and broken like a forgotten doll.

"Roxas, why are you telling me this?" he continued, "What is it to you whether or not I confess to Sora?"

"Somebody needs to look out for Sora, it ought to be you but you haven't really done anything other than brood over whether to confess to Sora or not. The answer's the most obvious thing ever but you can't seem to see that telling him the truth is the right thing to do," Roxas sighed; lifting a small stone from the dock and tossing it into the sea where it sank rapidly.

"Why though?" Riku replied, "Why does it matter so much to you? Maybe Sora has fallen in love with me; maybe he hasn't; but even if he has, how can it be connected to your life?"

"Because I don't want him to miss his chance like I did. I don't want him to love somebody and never get a chance to show it. Sora loves you and I'm telling you to do something about it!" Roxas snapped, the anger not reaching his eyes. Riku could see the boy was hurting and that he wasn't entirely sure about his own emotional outbursts.

"Okay," Riku murmured, trying to sooth Roxas, "I think I get where your coming from with that; but Roxas, I know it sounds strange that I'm asking but what was your missed chance?"

The blond boy tensed; for a moment Riku thought that the blonde was going to snap again and refuse to answer the question but instead Roxas just frowned looked shakily at the ground.

"It's alright to ask, it's only natural to be curious. I… my missed chance was… it was admitting the truth to Axel. I- I never told him but… I think I was in love with him. It sounds so idiotic but he was just so perfect. I never let him know that I thought like that about him though; and now… now it's too late. He's gone. I can never change that. I don't know how to be certain about anything anymore, without him I just don't want to exist. But somebody needs to look after Sora so until you get up the courage to say something to him I'm going to do the right thing and stay here for him. I don't want him to end up like me but I don't want to live; I can't bear it. It just hurts constantly knowing that he's gone and I never even got to show him how much he meant to me. He was so perfect; he was just so… so inexplicably himself. He was pretty much everything I ever wanted and now… It's just so messed up!"

Riku realised with a horrible jolt that the younger teen was crying, tears streaming down his face as he shook uncontrollably. It appeared to Riku that Roxas was in hell and was prolonging his torturous stay in that hell in an attempt to save Sora from the same fate.

He couldn't take it, couldn't look at this living image of the fate that awaited those who failed to allow themselves love. Was this how Sora would end up? Was this how he would end up? Not if he had a say in it.

He stood up sharply making the blonde up in shock. "You're right," he said, determination flooding him, the blond gazed at him questioningly, eyebrows slightly raised indication that an explanation was in order "I'm going to tell Sora."

An unrecognisable emotion flicked in the blonde's face, not happiness but something like it. Relief maybe? However there was still doubt mixed in, "Do you really think you have the guts to do that Riku?"

"Yeah, I think I do," Riku replied, strengthened by his newfound resolve. He could see that he'd answered correctly, it was best for him and best for Roxas and, most importantly, best for Sora.

"Look after him," the blonde whispered almost inaudibly.

"I will," Riku swore, "Always."

**_A/N Shall I continue this?_**


End file.
